Easy Thai Red Curry

My friends came over and I had nothing to feed them so I whipped this up in 15 minutes (I have witnesses).

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined (I like tails on)
1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk
2 tbsp red curry paste (buy at any asian market like Ranch 99)
2 tbsp fish sauce (makes it more authentic but can do without, also at asian markets. It's called Num Pla)
2 tbsp brown sugar (can use regular)
2 cups assorted veggies cut into 1 inch chunks. I like zucchini, red bell pepper, peas)
1 can chinese straw mushrooms (at any supermarket like Safeway)
1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots (optional)
1 lime or lemon

In a large pan bring coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar to a boil
Add vegetables, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink (don't overcook)
Serve with rice

Sneaky Sangria

This is good. Sneaky since you really don't taste the alcohol while drinking it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/3 cup orange juice
1 (750 ml) bottle merlot (I use Trader Joe's 1.99 wine)
1/2 cup triple sec (cheap at Trader Joe's)
1 lemon sliced into rounds
1 lime sliced into rounds
1 orange sliced into rounds
10 maraschino cherries
1 small bottle of cold Sprite
1 Granny Smith apple chopped

In a large bowl mix together brandy, lemon juice, lemonade, orange juice, red wine, triple sec. Add all the fruit and regrigerate (preferably 3-4 hours or overnight). Before serving, add Sprite.

This keeps in the fridge well.

Shrimp Avocado Boats

Awesome 5 minute recipe my husband cannot get enough of

Ingredients:
1. 4 ripe avocados
2. 1/3 lb salad shrimp (the little ones)
3. 1 tsp garlic powder
4. 1-2 tbsp mayonnaise
5. black pepper to taste
6. 1 tsp dry parsley(optional)
7. lemon juice (optional)

1. cut avocados in half, take the flesh out with a spoon, chop up the flesh and put in a bowl. Save remaining avocado skins
2. to the chopped avocado add shrimp, garlic powder, pepper, mayo, parsley. Mix.
3. put your shrimp-avocado mixture in the avocado skins, sprinkle with lemon juice

Georgian Eggplant Rolls

I saw these in Russian Deli's and they're expensive, the recipe is super simple and they keep in the fridge well.

Ingredients:
2-3 eggplants
2 bunches cilantro
8-10 cloves garlic
12 oz. shlled walnuts
cayenne pepper to taste

1. cut eggplants into thin slices, sprinkle with salt and leave alone for 20 minutes
2. in a food processor combine cinlantro, garlic, walnuts and cayenne pepper and blend into a paste. You may add a bit of water to thin it out a bit.
3. was eggplants well, pat dry and fry in a little bit of vegetable oil
4. spread walnut paste on eggplant slices, fold 2-3 times (or roll) and refrigerate preferably overnight

Awesome Spinach Artichoke Dip

I made this a couple of times and it's just awesome. Makes my husband reconsider his view of spinach and artichokes as something inedible. Serve with cut up veggies like cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower or slices of garlic bread.

Ingredients:
2 cups grated/shredded Parmesan cheese (in a pinch you can use stuff from a green can)
1 package (10-12oz) of frozen choppen spinach, thawed
1 (14oz) can of artichoke hearts
2/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise (you can use light mayo, I recently bought cholesterol free saffola oil mayo which was good)
1 cup light cream cheese (room temperature)
4-5 cloves of garlic minced

1. wrap thawed spinach in paper towel and wring dry
2. cut up artichoke hearts in smaller pieces
3. mix together Parmesan, spinach and artichoke hearts
4. combine remaining ingredients and add parmesan mixture
5. Bake at 375F 30 minutes

Note: I buy all of the ingredients (except mayo) at Trader Joe's, they're considerably (about 30-40%) cheaper there.

Apple Tea Cakes

These were a hit at my sister's Passover dinner:

4 large eggs
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted matzo meal
3 tablespoons potato starch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Add the sugar, matzo, potato starch, and salt and mix until blended. Stir in the apples.
Put paper muffin cups into a muffin tin (or spray with non-stick spray). If you don't use the muffin cups, you will have a much harder time getting these out of the muffin tin. Fill 3/4 full with the batter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until the tops spring back when pressed, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Cool on a rack and remove from the tin when they are at room temperature.
(courtesy of foodnetwork.com)